The Grimsvotn volcano has forced the closure of Icelandic airspace and spread fears of a repeat of the global travel chaos that was caused by last year's Icelandic eruption. Ash spews from the volcano, May 23, 2011.Jon Magnusson—Getty Images

The Grimsvotn volcano has forced the closure of Icelandic airspace and spread fears of a repeat of the global travel cha

Iceland's Grimsvotn Volcano Erupts

Iceland's most active volcano started erupting Saturday — just over a year after another eruption on the North Atlantic island shut down European air traffic for days. Iceland's Meteorological Office confirmed that an eruption had begun at the Grimsvotn volcano, accompanied by a series of small earthquakes. Smoke could be seen rising from the volcano, which lies under the uninhabited Vatnajokull glacier in southeast Iceland.

Grimsvotn last erupted in 2004. Scientists have been expecting a new eruption and have said previously that this volcano's eruption will likely be small and should not lead to the air travel chaos caused in April 2010 by ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano.